Properties which include a home office can be extremely appealing to potential buyers. If you are thinking of creating a built in home office, you may be able to sell quicker and fetch a higher asking price than you previously thought possible.
When the Covid pandemic forced many people to work from home, they realised the possibilities of this lifestyle. Consequently, there was a shift in working practice and lots of people never returned full time to the office.
Supporting this lifestyle choice, the expectations businesses have of their employees is much more flexible than it has been in the past. Lots of people work part/all of the week from home. When these people move house, they would love to see a home office ready to support their lifestyle.
If your property comes complete with a built-in home office, that is an easy thing for buyers to tick off their list. Instead of thinking how they could incorporate an office into the space, you have created one ready for them. With so many other things on their mind, it is great to make this part of the search process straightforward.
Utilising space that cannot easily be classified as anything else also adds purpose and value. There are criteria for a room to be called a ‘bedroom’ for example. If your space does not qualify, repurposing it as a home office defines it as identifiable and useful.
If a home office is not on the buyer’s ‘must have’ list, it does not matter. That same space can easily be imagined as a playroom, hobby room… or any other kind of room! You are appealing to a very wide target market and displaying versatility while playing the odds that they may well require exactly what you have presented to them: a ready-made home office.
No matter what space you are working with, whether a dedicated garden room or nook under the stairs, here are a few golden home office ideas to create the perfect working environment:
Effective lighting is essential to create a productive atmosphere. Overhead lighting is great and desk lamps/wall mounted lights can create directional light for specific tasks. Make sure you avoid placing lights at an angle that will reflect directly and distractingly off computer screens, though.
The furniture you choose will depend on the space available. If you need to pack away the workstation regularly, a folding/pull out home office desk may be just what you need to showcase the work-from-home possibilities without dominating the space. If you have more room available, you do not have to be so choosy and can prioritise personal preference. Deluxe, reclining office chair? Yes please!
Just like in a conventional office, storage solutions are always high on the list of priorities. Shelves, drawers, boxes, pin boards and cupboards could all find a home in your home office.
Clutter, or rather banishing it, is extremely important when creating the dream built in home office. Your goal is to show potential buyers that they will be able to effortlessly use this space to productively work from home. You are selling a dream lifestyle so avoid leaving piles of toys on the unused home office desk or hanging laundry over the chair. Keep this area calm and clutter-free for maximum impact.
There is a lot to think about when preparing your house for sale and creating a built in home office may not have been your first thought. However, with relatively little effort, you could make your property more appealing and potentially more valuable as a result.
If you have any questions about selling your house or would like help at any stage, please do not hesitate to get in touch. The friendly, knowledgeable team at Charters will be happy to help.
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